Not You're Typical Heroes
by Danyella Skyler Silverfire
Summary: Halloween with a party theme, costume parts kept in the library with random spells cast on them, and a chance to be a different sort of hero.


**Title:** Not Your Typical Heroes  
**Fandom:** Buffy Crossover  
**Author:** Danyella Skyler Silverfire  
**Website:** Livejournal, Insanejournal, or  
**Rating:** R  
**Genre(s):** Crossover  
**Summary:** Halloween with a party theme, costume parts kept in the library with random spells cast on them, and a chance to be a different sort of hero.  
**Disclaimer:** Checks reality meter (It's remarkably Magic Eight Ball shaped). {{shake}}{{shake}} Do I own Buffy or any of the others? Nope still the right reality. Go eat a tuna sandwich instead. {{stares}} Damn.  
**Author's Note:** I decided to try my hand at a Halloween fic. I do have plans with this and I'm trying to make it a bit different in subtle ways. Like the divergence starts with Xander sitting at the table with the other two, rather than going and getting a soda, thus delaying his Larry encounter. Also the costumes become permanent because they were leaving them in the library and several people cast spells on them.  
This is a work in progress, and who's going as what is at the bottom. Also don't bug me about the dates they came from. I _know_ several of them came out after that episode.  
**Word Count:** 6,868

Not Your Typical Heroes

Xander pulled out the chair at their table in the lounge area, "So why don't we have a party?"

"Xander!" Willow exclaimed.

"Well since we have to dress up, and according to you and Giles," Xander directed towards Buffy, "it'll be dead, so why don't we do a Halloween party? You know: punch, food, monster movie marathon we can mock."

"But the kids..." Willow reminded Xander.

"After we take the kids back. It ends at six after all. We can even do a theme."

Buffy gave Xander a look. "A theme?"

"Like..." Xander thought frantically.

"No spandex," Willow hurriedly said.

"Fine. Not your typical heroes then," Xander said, disappointed at the opposition of his plan to see Buffy in spandex. "What do you suggest, Willow?"

"Actually, that's a good idea," Buffy said.

"Spandex?" Willow gave Buffy a betrayed look.

"Not that, the 'not your typical heroes' thing. What do you think?" Buffy looked over at Willow, who looked reluctant, yet intrigued.

"We only have a week," Willow pointed out, practical as ever.

"All we need to do is choose who to go as, and figure out what we need to get." Xander thought over various comic, movie, and game characters that meet the criteria.

"That and convince my mom to let us throw a party," Buffy added.

"That too." Xander frowned. "We need to tighten the criteria. Maybe by media?"

"What? Like all of them from comics or movies?" Willow thought it over before nodding in agreement. "Oh! Oh! Anime!"

"Oh, good one, Will." Xander grinned in triumph. "I know just who to... Wait just the cartoons, or the other stuff too?"

"Other stuff?" Buffy asked in confusion.

"The comics and video games. Who I'm thinking of is a video game character," Xander explained.

"Oh, defiantly the games and manga. I think I know who I can go as. It's a manga character though. So it's agreed?"

"Sure, I guess. Though I'm going to need your guy's help. I know _nothing_ about this sort of thing." Buffy was bemused by her friend's new enthusiasm.

"Don't worry; you just worry about getting your mom's permission." Xander grinned as he thought over how to get his costume parts. Some of it, like the leather, would be a bit hard to get.

"Great, leave me the hard part."

"You know, we should invite Giles and Ms. Calender too. You know, so your mom can have someone to talk to. Also it'll be a great Scoobie party."

"So great, we have plans." Xander grinned. _'This is defiantly going to be a Halloween to remember.'_

* * *

Xander draped the trench coat over the counter before laying the bags of costume parts on top of it. The leather was black instead of red, but it'll have to do. Considering he had a choice between red velvet and black leather he'd chose the leather every time. Even if it wasn't accurate to the character it wouldn't get him mocked like the velvet would have.

"Ah Xander, what's this?" Giles asked in greeting.

"Parts for our costumes. I managed to find a surprising amount scrounging the second hand stores. Here's the remaining money." Xander handed Giles an envelope. "All we need now are props, which we can get at a costume shop tomorrow."

"Props?"

"Plastic guns and swords mostly, a few jewelry pieces too. I need to at least get a couple guns, a sword and a medallion."

"What are you going as?"

"Video game character. Half-demon demon hunter named Dante," Xander explained as he poked through the return pile.

"Half-demon?" Giles was surprised, but supposed that'd meet the criteria.

"Yeah, I'll bring the booklet tomorrow so you can take a look."

"And dare I ask about my costume?" Giles asked.

"Super vampire named Alucard. He's Buffy's character, Integra's servant. So matching costumes."

"How droll, making me a vampire." Giles sighed, but accepted the selection with grace. After all, it was just for one night.

"Which also means you get to wear this." Xander pulled out the red velvet trench coat that almost became part of his own costume.

"Oh dear lord."

"Yeah, I thought you'd say that." Xander grinned, he loved doing that to Giles.

"What about Angel?"

"The master of brooding is going as the king of 'hn'."

"What?"

"The character's favorite word."

"Ah... How... fascinating."

* * *

Xander felt his Cordelia senses tingling. Well not really, more he heard Willow's horrified yelp of her name. "Hark do my Cordelia senses deceive me or has Buffy done something evil? Please tell me involves girl on girl kissing, because as a modern man of the nineties I fully support you if you decide to become a lesbian. No need to hide your PDA's in front of me."

"Xander!" was now squeaked from both sides he threw his arms across Buffy and Willow's horrified shoulders.

"No! Thankfully, no. And shut up about stuff like that you perv." Buffy batted Xander lightly on the stomach. "I kinda..."

"She-she-" Willow stuttered, horrified on two fronts now.

"Well don't all rush to tell me at once. Well unless it _does_ have to do with girl on girl kissing, then I can understand if you can't speak of it, so why don't you just show me?"

"I... invited-Cordelia-to-the-party," Buffy rushed out nervously.

"You _what_?" Xander exclaimed, pulling away from Buffy in betrayed shock.

"I didn't mean to, she just cornered me and started bragging and it just popped out."

"W-well she can't come! She..." Willow trailed off desperately trying to think of an excuse.

"She's _Cordelia_!" Xander piped up.

"Yes! No! She doesn't have costume for our theme," Willow said with an 'ah ha' expression. "She'll ruin our party. With her lack of theme."

"Yeah, even Angel's going in theme." Xander crossed his arms and gave Buffy a glare, hoping to display his disappointment at her carelessness.

"Maybe she won't come. After all it's not like it's a huge social thing," Buffy tried to reassure weakly.

"It's Cordelia! She'd come just to make us miserable!" Xander said.

"And ruin our theme! We have a theme party! A good one! And-and she'll ruin it!"

"Come on, it's Cordelia. She's probably going to go to some big party with all the popular kids."

Xander and Willow both gave Buffy narrow disappointed looks before reluctantly nodding.

"Alright. But if she show's up she's _your_ responsibility," Xander ordered.

* * *

Xander was just reaching for his English text when Cordelia stalked up.

"Xander, we need to speak."

Xander looked over at her in distaste. "Cordelia. I'd be happy to help you, but I don't think you've quiet worked your way threw every scuzeball on the planet."

"What? Never mind." Cordelia abruptly switched to her point, "Alright Buffy said something about a theme so I need you to get me a costume."

"Well you see, I would, but I don't think we know, or even like each other enough for me to be buy you role playing costumes."

"I'll pay. Just make sure it's a cat something or other, cause I said that's what I'm going as and I can't back out now."

"A cat huh?" Xander grinned.

"_Not_ a cat girl or something perverted like that." Cordelia ordered.

Xander thought it over carefully. "Fine. I'll do it for fifty."

Cordelia gave him a narrow look and nodded. "Here's the down payment. Tell me if it goes over." Cordelia said holding up a hundred. "And I want the change back."

"Fine. I want my pay on arrival though."

Halloween Night

Willow tugged thoughtfully at the frog patterned cheongsam she was wearing, still unsure if she was going to kill Xander for selecting _this_ particular one for her. It was pretty, but still, frogs.

"Alright kids," Willow said as firmly as she could, "this is the last one then we'll head back."

The kids were just about to turn back disappointed that the woman had run out of candy when everything changed.

* * *

Integra quickly took in the situation before swiftly going into action, separating the hostile from the horrified amongst the miniature monsters. Though something was very wrong. Very, very wrong because she swore one of them was a Klingon.

After scaring off the hostile monsters she ushered the remaining ones into the house, past it's shocked and horrified owner, before reaching mentally for her servant. _//Alucard?//_

_//Yes my Master?//_ came the swift reply.

_//Where are you?//_ she asked ignoring, with long experience, the insinuation that always layered his words.

_//A library.//_

She narrowed her eyes in annoyance before continuing to seek to secure the house with it's owner and a few... others help.

_//I assume from my current circumstance not one you recognize. Get here as swiftly as you can. I do not like this.//_

_//Your wish is my command.//_

She felt his mental touch recede with that last sarcastic comment. She _really_ didn't like this situation. _At all_. Heads would _roll_ for this indignity.

* * *

Heero leaned weakly against the wall of the unfamiliar building gasping for breath and clutched at his chest where it felt as though he was having a heart attack. Then just to make the situation worse, he felt a cheap knockoff of the Zero system attack his mind.

Heero snarled. He _swore_ never to be a puppet again. He didn't serve destruction, he protected peace. And that _thing_ was foul, and perverse in what it wanted. Calling on every scrap of hard earned experience gained from months in the Zero system, even more time with his fellow pilots, and every other useful experience he could draw on he set about first blocking it off. Then once he had a foothold, pushing it _out_.

* * *

Yuffie frowned as she tied up the now unconscious monsters. "_Why_ are we just knocking them out, Cloud?"

"Check them with Libra[1], Yuffie," Cloud said as he handed the little, leather clad girl some more rope from his bag.

Frowning Yuffie caste the spell on the one she just tied up before yelping in surprise at what the spell told her. "But that's impossible."

"Apparently not," Cloud drawled. "Look we need to find a triage. The fact that we're apparently bespelled cosplayers is something we can worry about when we have time."

"W-what?" Yuffie asked, turning horrified eyes on the blond.

"Libra?" Cloud prompted, before turning and looking around the strange street they were on.

"Cloud?" the leather clad girl asked getting his attention. "How about that house?" she asked pointing to a house a little further up the street.

He eyed it briefly before nodding, seeing that it would be easier to make defensible than any of the others. "Good choice. Yuffie, go scout it while we move them. You are?"

Falling back on old habits, Yuffie nodded and ran off to do as ordered. Even though they apparently weren't themselves, Cloud was still Cloud.

"Xena," The girl said with a nod as she helped him keep an eye out.

* * *

Rose ushered the confused group into the house on the green-eyed woman orders. This was a strange situation to find herself in, even with all she had seen in her extremely long life.

This strange town was all but humming with unchecked dark magic. The chaos that seemed to be covering its streets was obviously not normal, seeing as there was harmful, helpful, helpless, and just in the way running around.

"Right this way, there's snacks on the table there," Aeris told the newest group as she smiled took the only one over four feet firmly, but gently by the arm and steered them to the group already waiting in the living room being entertained by a strange walking, talking cat. "Don't worry about anyone getting in without permission. I've already put a Barrier up over the house."

"T-thank you Miss." The poor girl stuttered.

Rose had to admire the gentle but firm handling that the other woman had demonstrated in making the house safe and comfortable for the refugees they had taken in so far. Even without the strange, but useful magic "materia" she had produced from her purse.

Rose kept an eye on the street as she waited to pull in yet more refugees. At least until she or someone else could be freed up to go investigate what had caused all the chaos.

* * *

Larry grinned as he pushed more jewelry into his bag. It was a strange night, but he was fortunate enough to fall in with a group of like minded folk and they were now in the midst of robbing a jewelry store. Later they were even planning on finding at least some booze to spend their hard earned swag on, maybe some whores.

It was a strange night, but profitable so far.

Right about then was when Larry and his group of rouges night took an abrupt downswing with a loud flash of bright light loud noise, followed by high, feminine laugh.

What followed was swift, flashy, and painful for the robbers, leaving only one cheerful red-head standing.

Whistling cheerfully Lina Inverse swiftly gathered the loot and went off in search of more.

* * *

Dante knocked out the pseudo-demon that had just tried to attack him. Eyeing the body a moment he picked it up and deposited it in a bush, before continuing to stroll down the street towards the Hellmouth he felt. It might not be the source of the current situation, but it'd at least give him a place to start.

"Tracker Beam!" a female voice yelled followed by a bright light and zing of magic.

Turning his head Dante arched an eyebrow at the sight of a pseudo-monster being lifted into the air in the center of the light then dropped on its head.

Walking up behind the pink haired woman he clapped. "Impressive. Though not a spell I'm familiar with."

Spinning around the woman held an ornately topped staff in a defensive position. "You're not going to attack me to, are you?"

"I don't see why I should, I thought a non-hostile companion for the night might be a nice change," Dante offered with a shrug.

Eyeing him warily for long minute the woman finally smiled brightly at him as she lowered her staff. "Hi, I'm Millie Chaliette," she introduced herself with a bow.

Smiling slightly at the greeting he nodded. "Dante Sparda."

"Do you know what's going on?" Millie asked as she stood holding her staff in her hands parallel to the ground. "This place is really strange. And all these monsters..."

"I don't think they're real monsters. They seem... off," Dante offered.

"Indeed," a sinister voice said. Looking Dante watched a red clad man walk up. "This place is... _interesting_." The last was accompanied by a manic grin.

"Hellmouths tend to be that way." Dante drawled.

"What's a Hellmouth," Millie asked confused as she edged closer to Dante.

"A place of great evil and darkness," the manic man drawled. "All wrapped in one nice little package."

"On top of an easy portal to hell," Dante added, eyeing the... Midian. This could be... trouble. "Are we going to have problems?"

"I am merely seeking the source of this situation."

"How... altruistic for a Midian." Dante smirked grimly at the other man as he drew Ebony and Ivory.

"Indeed." Eying him for a long moment the Midian finally offered, "Much as I'd love to... play with you, I believe we have more pressing concerns, yes."

Giving him a flat look, Dante nodded and lowered his guns. "How about a name?"

"Alucard. What say we take care of this problem and maybe we can play?" the last was offered with a manic grin and leering words.

Dante snorted. "Fighting a Midian is always... fun," he conceded.

"Great, so what are we going to do?" Millie demanded, leaning forward slightly.

"We hunt of course," Alucard answered.

Dante nodded as he put his guns away only to pause and reach one hand into his satchel and feel around. Frowning he pulled out an exact replica of the gun he still held. Eyeing the two closely Dante finally put the new Ivory in the holster, replace Ebony with another replica he pulled from the satchel.

"What's wrong?" Millie asked, worried about the odd behavior.

"They weren't my guns. _Mine_ were in my satchel," Dante explained eying the imitations with a frown. "Good copies, but not the real thing."

"If your 'guns' weren't right, what about your sword?" Millie asked, carefully enunciating the strange word.

Laying the imitation guns on a car hood, he pulled the sword off his back and inspected it critically. "Same." Reaching into the satchel again he dug around for a long moment before finally coming out with the real Force Edge.

"Interesting bag[2]," Alucard commented.

Dante ignored him as he tucked the fakes into the satchel. "Let's roll."

* * *

Xander groaned as he leaned against the counter of the costume shop before sliding down it to the floor. Not five feet away Cordelia was curled into a whimpering ball and Giles lay next to the now broken bust of Janus. "The _hell_?" he gasped out once he could draw breath.

"This can't be normal," Cordelia whimpered.

"Something's defiantly wrong," Giles said as he carefully sat up.

"You mean other than the fact that the spell didn't seem to break properly," Xander snapped.

"I mean the fact I can hear your heartbeats," Giles said as he took off his glasses and took a careful look around.

"Giles?" Xander asked as he crawled over to the older man. "You okay?"

"I'm... well not fine, but that's not the point is it?" Giles asked rhetorically.

"Um... Giles? Your eyes are red," Xander said tentatively.

"Hell." Giles looked around briefly only to growl. "Ethan's gone."

"I think we should check on the others before we chase after him," Xander said.

"Right." Giles took a deep breath before climbing to his feet. "Can you walk?"

"Give me a moment." Xander sat down again and looked over at Cordelia. "Cordelia?"

"I can with help," she said after carefully sitting up. "This is _really_ wrong."

"Can you check something really fast?" Xander asked. "Symbology uses tattoos right?"

Giving him a long look she finally nodded and pulled up her skirt to show her legs. Sure enough there tattooed on her legs were symbological runes. "Shit. I _know_ you wouldn't have known to do that, let alone have done it."

Shakily nodding Cordelia sat staring for a moment before she began digging through her bag that like the rest of their costumes, had yet to revert. "What's Buffy's number?"

"What?" Xander asked confused.

"Her number. Her moms home right?" Cordelia asked, giving him a frustrated look.

"Oh, right." Xander rattled off the number. Leaving Cordelia to her conversation he pulled himself to his feet and took a look around.

"We should probably at least track down the kids. It's really not going to be safe for them to be running around tonight. Not to mention, who knows how far they got."

"Quite." Giles nodded in agreement. "Here, let me." Taking the phone from Cordelia, he spoke briefly with Joyce apparently before handing it back. "I head west, you east?"

"Sounds good." Digging around in his bag that was apparently still holding all of Dante as well as his own stuff he pulled out Dante's phone and checked it. "Good it still works. Take this and check in every fifteen minutes."

Giles nodded in acceptance as he pocketed the cell. "Be careful."

"You too." Xander called back before leaning down to help Cordelia to her feet. "Ready to roll?"

"Yeah. Just let me..." Carefully shaking out her skirts before pulling off the pink wig she had been wearing with a relieved sigh. "At least that's one thing that didn't stick."

"True. Though your eyes are pink now, though I doubt for the same reason as Giles," Xander pointed out.

"What?" Cordelia dug through her bag for a mirror.

"Look while we walk. Kids to find and save from being eaten." Xander took her arm and dragged her out of the shop as she complained. About just what exactly, he didn't care enough to pay close attention to.

* * *

Leaning against the support post on Buffy's porch Angel held a hand to his chest and marveled again at the fact that he was breathing and had a heartbeat. He still didn't know what had happened, but he was alive.

"Angel?" Xander voice called out.

His hand twitching to where Heero's gun was concealed under his coat, Angel turned and looked at Xander who walked up with Cordelia, Dawn, and some blond kid. "Harris."

"Looks like what got us got you too. Giles should be joining us soon. He's playing responsible adult at school for a little bit longer."

"Do you know what happened?" Angel asked.

"Some guy, that Giles apparently knows - long story - decided to turn everyone into their costumes. We, and apparently Andrew here," Xander gestured to the blond kid, "got hit harder than anyone else. Don't know why yet."

"Hn." Angel nodded in understanding. "You know where Buffy is?"

"She's coming back with Giles. She'd been holed up with a bunch of trick-or-treaters in a house. Dawn and Andrew as well, just a different neighborhood."

"That seems to have been the theme tonight," Jenny's voice cut in from the shadows causing them all to jump and pull weapons on her. "Tense night?"

Snorting Xander reholstered his guns. "That's one way to put it."

"Sorry," Angel apologized following Xander's example. "It's been a... long night."

"Well get in. Joyce has tea and snacks waiting for us."

"Mom?" Dawn asked worried.

"She's fine. Confused by what happened, but fine. I was with her most of the night," Jenny reassured the girl. "Although, why is Andrew here?"

"Hi Miss Calender." Andrew greeted, hiding behind Xander a little.

"He was helping pull me from a bush when the spell hit," Dawn explained.

Andrew blushed and nodded. "And... I kinda had my costume stored in the library with Mr. Giles so my brother wouldn't trash it before tonight."

"Ah." Jenny ushered the five into the house. "Joyce?"

"Here." Joyce called back.

"Next groups back."

"Dawn, honey, are you okay?" Joyce asked, pulling her younger daughter into a hug.

"I'm fine Mom. Just a little tired and confused." Pulling back she smiled. "It's been a strange night."

"That's one way of putting it, Lassy," a voice said from the floor.

Looking down confused, they were surprised to find a black and white cat standing there on its hind legs wearing a cape, crown and holding a megaphone.

"Did that cat just talk?" Cordelia demanded.

"Indeed I did, Lassy. Cait Sith at your service." The cat gave her a courtly bow.

"And I thought things couldn't get stranger," she grumbled.

"Tea?" Willow offered, coming into the living room holding a tray, still in costume.

Cordelia sighed and nodded. "I think I need some."

Andrew smiled down at Cait Sith, while Angel just gave it a bland stare before going for some tea himself.

"Why's your hair still black?" Xander asked Willow, as he took a seat on the floor, leaving the seats open to the others.

"I'd dyed it," Willow explained as she poured his cup.

"Ah." Not knowing what else to say, Xander accepted the cup and took a sip.

* * *

Over the next hour the rest of the people that had been invited to the anime themed party wandered into the Summers home, once or twice with a hanger on.

The group spent the entire night comparing stories of what had happened, and trying to figure out why they all showed signs of being at least partially transformed. The costumes were all real now, right down to the money in their wallets, which while annoying in the cases of the ones who's costumes had had quite a bit that was now worthless, they all seemed to be at least partially physically transformed.

Though only in a few cases was it anything very obvious or difficult to hide. Angel was now alive and human for the most part[3], though still with the strengths and senses of a vampire. Giles was now a Midian of Alucard's relative strength, with all that entailed. Luckily Buffy seems to have retained Integra's control over his nature. Xander seemed to have retained as much of the physical of Dante as the others had of their respective costumes as shown by a few quick tests. Cordelia not only had Millie's tattoos, but also apparently her tail, which had been hidden underneath her skirt and cloak. Amy had Lina's magical prowess. Dawn showed increased physical prowess, as would be expected of a trained ninja. Andrew had a SOLDIER's glowing eyes and strength. Jenny had transformed into her Dragoon armor. Joyce was actually the most normal of them oddly, even with her being one of the hybrids, most of her differences being along the lines of psychic and magical ability.

Cait Sith was actually the most disturbing, having been a stuffed cat that Xander had gotten and dressed up for Dawn. He'd given it to her before they had headed out, and she had left it with Joyce so she wouldn't lose it.

After a while it was brought up just how their costumes phones could still work, which led to Jenny, Andrew, Willow, Cait Sith, and oddly Angel taking them apart and checking them all out, both mundanely and magically. They eventually concluded that the phones were magically hacking the satellites and towers for signals. This discovery led to a highly technical discussion about something that the others didn't understand, and were probably happier that way.

By the time that dawn rolled around they had at least gotten the initial discussions out of the way, and were all tired so decided to all call off work and school and take a long weekend to sort things out better. So they all went home to sleep with the agreement to come back that afternoon to continue sorting things out.

Episode: The Dark Age

The library was a much different place than it had been just two weeks earlier. The computer savvy ones were in the middle of finishing up building a computer to their best collective knowledge could make with current tech.

They all had shopping lists of things they needed, among them was a new headquarters, none of them being comfortable using the library anymore, all feeling that it was to insecure.

The "need-to-get" list as well as the "want-to-get" list were both long, though the want list was obviously much longer, and both of them needing money to even really start filling them. So thus why the computer savvy were building a computer first, they wanted a secure computer before they started getting those funds. Everything else could wait until then. Angel wanted it finished before he started hacking for funds from various hidden accounts where the person had died but the money was still there.

While the computer people were busy with that the magic users - Cordelia, Amy, Willow and Jenny - where going through the magic books and trying to organize them into some sort of order. Eventually they would write a few of their own, compiled from the collected works of both the ones that had been there before Halloween, and those that came with their costumes.

Xander and Giles were going through the demonology books and writing out more details on the creatures there where they could add more, all with notations of what they _knew_ was true or worked, and what they weren't sure, but might be.

Buffy and Andrew were working with Dawn on some three way sparring. And all through this Joyce wandered through with a helpful word, encouraging pat, or plate of tea and cookies depending on the need. All in all, the library had probably never been so busy without someone trying to open the Hellmouth.

Giles looked over up at the sound of a voice calling for help outside. "Buffy? Come with me?" Putting his book down he hurried towards the direction of the voice. Burst through the door he growled at the sight of a possessed rotting corpse strangling a man. Ripping it off of its prey he threw it, her, back into a tree.

"Hey, are you okay?" He heard Buffy helping the man.

Standing between the demon and its/her intended victim he held the yoshiyuki[4] in a ready position. "Get him inside."

"Come on."

Trusting Buffy, Angel and Xander to do what was necessary Giles eyed the corpse more closely and was shocked to recognized her. "Diedre. No, Eyghon."

"Rupert," she/it growled, eyes flashing.

"Leave. This is your only warning." Giles raised the sword point and glared.

"I will have what is mine." With those words the demon lunged at him in its borrowed body.

* * *

Giles and Angel strolled back into the library five minutes later shaking his head slightly.

"Giles? You okay?" Buffy asked in concern.

"It tried to possess him," Angel explained. "I think he _ate_ it."

"Mmm. Quite." Giles sat down. "Just to be sure, Jenny? Can you check, just to be sure?"

"Give me a moment." Jenny grabbed her purse and started digging through her purse for something to check for possession.

"Ripper?" Eyghon's victim asked. "What's going on?"

Looking over Giles started in surprise. "Philip? Philip Henry? You're here because of Eyghon aren't you?"

Philip looked around at the gathered group. "Is there somewhere private we can talk?"

"They're well aware of the supernatural."

"Oh. What happened to Die... Eyghon?" Philip asked shakily.

"We fought, we talked, it tried to possess me and Angel might be right in the 'I ate it' reasoning," Giles quipped then rubbed his forehead. "I think I've spent too much time around the children, I'm starting to speak like them," he muttered.

"Why would Eyghon be after your friend?" Xander asked where he leaned against the book covered table arms crossed. "He usually needs to be summoned."

"How do you know that?" Cordelia asked giving him a surprised look.

Xander gave her a 'duh' look, "Dante knowledge combined with Giles project."

"Oh right," Willow explained. "I get it."

"Well I sure don't," Cordelia grumbled.

"Working on Giles project has him thinking on what Dante knew about demons, so it's towards the top of his mind," Willow explained before looking over at Xander. "Right?"

"Right." Xander gave her a brief smile before turning his head back to Giles. "So make with the explaining already."

"To put it succinctly, youthful rebellion come back to haunt me." Giles sighed. "Joyce can you make some tea? This is going to be a long night."

"Eyghon and youthful rebellion?" Xander smirked at the watcher. "Must have been some rebellion."

"Quite."

Buffy looked between the two. "All right, share with the rest of the class you two."

"Let's get that tea first," Joyce suggested firmly.

"Mmm. Tea and talk of past orgies, good combo." Xander grinned at the collective brain stutter that statement caused. "Let me go help you Mrs. Summers."

Episode: What's My Line?

Xander glared at Amy as the girl plucked the newspaper off his face as she sat on the couch next to him. "Hey, I was reading that."

"Really?" Amy gave him a doubtful look.

"Really. I'm in the middle of seeing if it's possible to read through osmosis," Xander explained with a playful glare.

Amy snorted. "Looked more like you were sleeping to me. You're not doing the job fair test?"

"Nope. Why take an unnecessary test when I can nap? Why do you ask?"

"Buffy and Willow are; and you three are usually..." Amy trailed off, unsure how to put it.

"The three musketeers?" Xander supplied helpfully.

"Yeah. So why aren't you?"

"Buffy's having to jump through one of Snyder's hoops with this, Willow's doing the moral support thing, and my brain's a little fried at the moment between school and Giles' project." Xander shrugged. "So I'm taking a break before I snap and gnaw my arm off to escape all the books."

"Hey guys." Andrew bounced up to the two.

"Andrew." Xander nodded at the blond as he sat down on the other side of Xander.

"Hey Andrew. How're you doing?" Amy asked.

Andrew smiled slightly. "I'm... some stuff's kinda getting to me."

Xander's eyes focused on Andrew. "Problem?"

"Just... family stuff. And Cloud is acting up about it. I think I'm going to have to get myself emancipated. Or at least living away from my brother."

"Tucker, right?" Amy asked, drawing up the vaguely known boy from her and Xander's grade. "Something's wrong?"

"Tucker's kinda... borderline sociopath." Andrew struggled to find a way to explain that didn't sound as bad as it actually was.

"And Inner-Cloud doesn't like it," Xander stated.

"Yeah. So I need to get away. Soon." Andrew smiled sardonically.

"Well I can't help you. You're a guy." Amy said.

"Don't look at me," Xander said apologetically. "My parent's and I've had an agreement since I started high school. So long as I'm home for breakfast they don't question what I do. That sort of thing doesn't really allow for having a classmate move in."

"Really?" Amy looked at Xander in surprise. "I didn't know that."

"It's no big deal. It makes a lot more sense now, when you think about the mortality rate in Sunnydale, especially for teenagers." Xander shrugged at the incredulous looks the other two gave him. "Probably safer for them anyway."

"Wow. This town _really_ messes with people. I mean my mom's an evil witch, Andrew's seriously thinking of emancipation because of his brother, and your agreement with your parents," Amy said with a frown.

After a moment of silence between the three of them Xander looked at Amy, "So why'd you want to talk to me anyway?"

"What makes you think I want anything?" Amy defended herself.

Xander gave her a flat look. "I can sniff out someone approaching me with a deal or request. So just ask."

"Fine. You got all the parts for our costumes around town right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So there has to be a lot of good stuff around Sunnydale's second hand stores?"

Xander thought that over for a long minute before nodding.

"So, we can get some good stuff for cheap? Maybe resale it elsewhere for more?"

Andrew perked up at that. "Maybe by some beat up stuff for even cheaper, fix it up and resale it?"

"So you want to what? Go into business together?" Xander asked.

"Yeah. I mean I could do it on my own, but after some thinking I realized that some more of us might be interested," Amy explained excitedly.

"I'd be interested," Andrew chimed in. "Money and a job would help me out a lot."

"And the fact that I've already done some of the footwork is why you've come to me? Rather than wait for the fruits of Angel's project?"

"It'd give us a legitimate cover," Andrew pointed out.

"We could try it I suppose," Xander reluctantly offered.

"Yay!" Amy cheered as she jumped to her feet at the bell. "You won't regret this."

Xander snorted and withheld comment.

* * *

Xander sat with his feet propped up on the table listening to Buffy's story. "Must've been an important thing they were after."

"So vampire tomb robbers? That's a new one," Cordelia said.

"Maybe it was more valuable than important," Amy offered, ignoring Cordelia's comment.

"Maybe, but when are we that lucky?" Xander asked, giving Amy a look.

"Point," Buffy conceded with a worried frown. "Cynical, but a good point."

"So some investigation from Giles and I, while the rest of you continue to work on our other projects?"

"Sounds like a plan," Jenny said.

"Why's my hair still black?" Willow suddenly asked.

"Congrats on the most random comment Will," Buffy said, giving Willow a frown. "You dyed it, right?"

"Y-yeah, but I just realized that it's not growing out."

"She does have a point," Cordelia said as she started inspecting the top of Willow's head.

"Right... Buffy, why don't you show me that tomb, the rest of you get on with your projects," Giles ordered as he came out of his office with supplies.

* * *

Xander thoughtfully watched as Willow was escorted off by the strange suits. "She does have a point. Cordelia, how's your hair?"

"My hair's perfectly fine, Xander," Cordelia snapped with a glare.

"You've been wearing an illusion charm since Halloween Cordelia to hide the ears, eyes and tail. Maybe your hair's having some of the same issues?" Xander explained. "After all, there's a reason I started wearing a hat[5]."

"That's," Cordelia trailed off before pulling out her purse, "that's a good point." Pulling out a mirror she and taking off the charm she carefully eyed her hair, almost growling at the revealed pink roots.

* * *

"So you've got a bunch of assassins after you now?" Dawn asked her sister in disbelief.

"Looks like. Willow, can Dawn stay with you for now?" Buffy asked giving Willow a pleading look.

"I can't believe this," Dawn grumbled.

"Sure. I don't mind. My parent's are gone for the next few months anyway." Willow replied.

"Andrew should stay with you as a guard." Xander added in. "He is one of our heavier hitters physically."

"Do you mind?" Giles asked Andrew.

"I don't mind," Andrew said, straightening in his chair.

"Maybe I can put up a few wards as well?" Jenny offered. "So you know she's safe?"

"Thanks." Buffy smiled slightly. "I'll hide out for tonight at least while you guys look for leads as to who put the hit on me?"

"Sounds like a plan. You should probably go now," Amy said.

Nodding in thanks, Buffy headed out the back door, trusting the others to do their best to save her and protect her sister at the same time.

Later that afternoon

The Scoobies sat around the library and eyed the newly introduced "Kendra".

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there supposed to be just one Slayer?" Amy asked sotto voice.

"That's what I got told." Willow replied. "I _am_ remembering that part right, right Giles?"

"You are." Giles conceded eyeing the dark skinned girl with fascination.

"I _knew_ it couldn't all be about Buffy!" Dawn piped up.

"Dawn!" Buffy turned her glare on her sister.

"She has a point," Cordelia added in her two cents.

"Cordelia!" Buffy snapped.

"So... There's a Slayer Handbook?" Xander asked.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Any chance I can take a look?"

Giles gave Xander a droll look. "You want to write cutting criticism don't you?"

"You already said it's useless for Buffy. We might as well mock it." Xander grinned a little manically.

Snorting Giles nodded. "Let me find it for you later."

"You would really hand the Handbook over to a civilian?" Kendra asked in shock.

"Hardly a civilian," Giles commented. "Fellow hunter."

"Speaking of hunting, who's patrolling tonight? Call your graveyards," Xander said. "Remember that at least a couple of us need to, even with the Order of Taraka in town we still have things to do."

"Right. Let me go do the job fair thing so Snyder will be off my back." Buffy waved at them as she headed out the door with Willow.

* * *

Xander eyed the burning church thoughtfully. "You _would_ get the red Dragoon spirit."

Angel looked up from where he had been eying the merrily glowing orb in his hand. "Are you calling me a pyromaniac?"

Xander shrugged. "Well maybe not you so much as Heero, but yeah."

After a brief glare Angel gave up and sighed. "I can't argue that."

"Hey, you okay?" Buffy asked as she came over to hug Angel.

"I'm fine. I think the ritual drained away more of the vampire leaving me more human. Who knows what it would have done if I still had the demon."

"Thank god for that then," Jenny said before putting an arm around a slightly shocky Kendra. "Not bad for your first hunt on the Hellmouth."

"What's going on here?" Kendra asked. _Nothing_ in Sunnydale made sense to her.

Giles patted her sympathetically on the shoulder as he and Jenny started herding her to the car. "You have to realize that things are different on the Hellmouth. Things happen here that happen no where else in the world."

"He is the vampire Angelus?"

"He was. Not anymore though. Less so all the time it seems."

"Giles, I'm heading out," Xander called after the trio.

"Tomorrow then?"

"Yeah. Later guys." Xander waved over his shoulder as he walked off in another direction, leaving Angel and Buffy kissing by the light of a burning church.

* * *

The Scoobies looked over their newly purchased headquarters, it was a lot bigger than most of them had been thinking.

"I get the first mansion," Willow said, "but why the second?"

"That one," Angel said pointing to the one on the left, "will be our headquarters, that one," this time he pointed to the one on the right, "will be living quarters for those that want to move. They both need some work, but we'll have room to grow and expand for a while. Also we will have lots of room for a garden."

* * *

**Ending Note:** Everyones costumes costumes: Buffy: Integra (Helling)  
Xander: Dante (Devil May Cry)  
Willow: Count D (Petshop of Horrors)  
Giles: Alucard (Hellsing), Jenny: Rose (Legend of Dragoon)  
Joyce: Aeris Gainsborough (Final Fantasy 7)  
Dawn: Yuffie Kisaragi (Final Fantasy 7)  
Angel: Heero Yuy (Gundam Wing)  
Cordelia: Millie Chaliette (Star Ocean)  
Amy: Lina Inverse (Slayers)  
Andrew: Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy 7)  
And on a side note: Random 5-year-old: Xena (because the thought of a 3 foot tall Xena jumping around is just funny)  
**[1] Libra Materia:** I've decided to combine the Sense materia with how scan works in FF8. You get the name, states, and a blurb on who/whatever you cast it on.  
**[2] The Bags:** Okay those people who's characters are from video games will have what is essentially a Bag of Holding. It pretty much the only way that they can carry all the stuff you get in the games. Depending on who it was either their candy bag, purse, or backpack transformed like that. Although it was only the Scoobies and a few others that already had similar spells on their bags that remained that way after the spell was broken. Everyone else's reverted to normal. The Scoobies bags all hold the maximum amount of items that can be gotten by each character respectively since they didn't have a list of what they were carrying. So _lots_ of stuff.  
**[3] Angel:** Angel is now essentially what Conner was. A human with all the "perks" of being a vampire while still being human.  
**[4] Yoshiyuki:** It's one of the swords that you can get in FF7. It actually looks like a katana and has two materia slots. Giles claimed one of them from one of the bags.  
**[5] Hat thing:** Okay when I was in high school I dyed my hair black, but none of my friends (who I hung out with all the time) noticed because I always wore a black baseball cap and black clothes (no I wasn't goth, I just like black). So it was a week before any of them realized, and that was only because I took off my hat. So thus my reasoning, Xander when he noticed the white in his roots started wearing a hat.


End file.
